Memories Archives - Page 3 of 6

0 In 2021/ Memories/ Peek into our Week/ Traveling

Our escape to Marco Island

When our friends (Mark and Stacey) purchased a home on Marco Island and invited us to leave the snow and freezing February temps in Minnesota and join them for a sunny, GORGEOUS weekend in Florida … we couldn’t say YES fast enough.

I could not wait to put my toes in the sand, see the beautiful Florida sunsets, have time with friends – and not wake up to an alarm, a puppy, or a child.

My amazing in-laws offered to drive up and stay with our boys so that Ted and I could escape to ISLAND LIFE!

When we arrived, the PALM trees immediately put a smile on my face. Palm trees = sunshine.

Our friend Mark told us there are TWO THOUSAND, SIX HUNDRED different types of Palm Trees… but Marco Island probably has the prettiest ones of all….what do you think?

Our first stop was lunch in Naples. I’d never been to Naples and thought it was beautiful. Downtown Naples is a great place to walk, window shop, and eat.

Naples, Florida – June 14, 2019: Tourist walk and shop along the restaurants and luxury stores of 5th Avenue in downtown Naples Florida USA

It was hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that in Minnesota, the sky was gray, the ground was covered in snow, and the temperature was barely above zero…and here it was all sunshine and 80 degrees. How was it possible? I didn’t spend much time trying to figure it out – I just wanted to soak so much in that I could bring it back to Minnesota.

Lunch in Naples – I’d been up since 3AM!

After lunch, we drove to our friend’s lovely home on Marco Island. Seventy five percent of the homeowners live on water. If you are a boater or want to be on the water – this place is paradise!

We changed our clothes and jumped on their wave runners.

Did you know Marco Island is the largest of TEN THOUSAND islands in southwest Florida? Most of the islands are unpopulated and covered in mangroves. Some have their own private beaches and are loaded with shells and wildlife. We pulled up to one of the islands, searched for shells, and watched the amazing sunset.

That night I went to bed early since I’d been up since 3 AM to catch a flight.

Friday, we started the day with a bike ride to a bagel shop for breakfast.

We biked home, changed into our swimsuits, and spent the next few hours at the beach. Marco Island beach was huge, with soft, warm sand and loaded with shells.

Marco has one of the WIDEST in Florida!

Walking the beach gave me a flashback:

When I was a child, my parents took a trip to Florida and came back with white shells. We painted them and gave one to each child in my class. The Marco Island beach had the exact same shells all over the beach. I gathered some of my own to carry on this tradition with MY kids!

After a delightful day on the beach, we went home to shower and change, then came back to watch the sunset.

After the sun had set, we went to dinner at the historic Snook Inn.

Saturday we took the wave runners to KeeWaydin Island. KeeWaydin has no roads or bridges to get there. People just pull their boats and wave runners right up to the island and hang out. There are concession ‘boats’ that sell food, drinks, ice cream and even gifts!

Boats moared up on Keewaydin Island near Naples in Florida

After walking around and relaxing on the unique Keewaydin Island, we got back on the wave runners to explore the islands around Marco.

Our plan was to ride the wave runners to see the abandoned Cape Romano house, (pictured below)…but one of the wave runners had engine trouble, so we didn’t get there. Cape Romano was hand built on what USED TO BE an island. A hurricane destroyed the island and most of the home. What is left is now inhabited by wildlife. (Click here to see more pics and read the story!)

Unfortunately, the hurricane in 2022 buried or destroyed what was left of Cape Romano.

We watched another amazing sunset …

…and went to a place called Deep Lagoon for dinner in the beautiful Marco Island Marketplace and Marina.

Sunday we went back to the beach and took a long walk before we had to catch our flight home.

Marco Island has vast amounts of wildlife. We spotted tons of dolphins, a variety of birds, unique fish, turtles and a manatee!

I missed my boys and was excited to see them. As we were landing, we got the text that our boys were going back into ‘distance learning.’ Because of TWO cases of Covid at their school, everyone was sent home for two weeks! I’d get LOTS of time with my boys after being away from them. And we’ve gotten much better at distance learning since last year. (Read how bad it was at the beginning here)

This was the first time I’ve ever escaped the cold to take a trip to Florida in February, and now I may never be able to survive another winter without making this an annual tradition. Getting a break from the frigid temps, having a few days to ourselves, with great friends, was really refreshing and I’m so very grateful!

I came home and realized the warmth I was trying to ‘soak in’ to bring back to Minnesota really worked. It wasn’t much warmer outside, but the warmth stayed with me on the inside! The escape to Florida with friends lifted my spirit.

First of all, just planning our trip to Florida gave me something to look forward to, then getting to be in that Florida sunshine melted that ‘winter gloom’ and boosted my joy, even after coming home.

If you are a person who gets the “winter blues” … consider getting away for a long weekend like we did! If that’s not a possibility, click here for some other suggestions!

Here are more pictures and some video footage of our trip:

April 10, 2021 By Kathryn

3 In 2021/ Free stuff/ Memories/ Minnesota/ Peek into our Week/ Things to do in Minnesota

Why Como Zoo and Conservatory Should Be on Your Twin Cities Bucket List

One of my favorite places to visit in Minnesota is Como Zoo and Conservatory.

Not only is it historic and beautiful, but it’s FREE (though donations are appreciated).

The animals are nice and they are definitely what lure my children here, but my favorite part is the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory.

The Conservatory was built in 1915, and is one of the few remaining original Victorian style glasshouses in North America. Inside are two acres of beautiful flowers and greenery ‘under glass.’ The display inside the conservatory changes five times a year, so you never know what beauty you’ll encounter when you visit.

Because of Covid, they are asking everyone to book tickets online in advance (there is no charge for the tickets). This is one of the few Covid changes I like, because it means there are only a select number of tickets they give out each day, so it’s not crowded! (Click here to reserve your space.)

The animals came before the conservatory. Como Zoo started in 1897 when the city of St. Paul was gifted 3 deer and created a fenced in area to keep them.

Como was the first zoo in the world to successfully hand raise Siberian tigers.

Besides tigers and deer, there are many other animals to observe and enjoy. Luke loves the Arctic foxes and penguins, George’s favorites are the monkeys (we all like the monkeys). Paul likes the sloth and fish, I love the birds and giraffes, Clark liked the cougar and giant Polar bear.

The Como Zoo has exhibits inside and outside, so you can enjoy this place all year long.

In the summer, be sure to visit the beautiful Japanese Garden:

After your visit to the zoo, plan to visit the fun playground across the street. There are plenty of tables, perfect for a picnic.

The state’s oldest Dairy Queen dates back to 1947 an is just a mile away. (720 Lexington Ave N, Roseville, MN 55113) This is a fun way to end a spectacular day!

Click here for a peek into one of our visits to Como Zoo and Conservatory! What animals do you spot?

Click here to read my Minnesota Bucket list!

Click here for a peek into our visit to the amazing Mill City Museum.

March 23, 2021 By Kathryn

0 In 2021/ Memories/ Peek into our Week

Peek into our Week: February 2021

Superbowl and Puppy Plays Ball

Now that I have a house full of guys who enjoy football, I’ve started watching the actual football game and not just the commercials (though those are fun too!) My favorite commercial is at the end of this post.

On Super Bowl Sunday, I made some chicken wings and Jalapeño Stuffed Peppers.

During halftime, the boys were playing “flag” football in the family room, and Wrigley joined in the game. It was all fun and games – until Wrigley missed the flag and bit Paul on the side of the leg.

Clark had always dreamed of having a dog that could play football with him, and his dream came true on Super Bowl Sunday!

Also, Clark asked why the background dancers had underwear on their faces during half-time. My friend Jessica explained that it was for a good purpose, but it still looked ugly and was a weird halftime show!

I was COMPLETELY impressed with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. What a game!

Serving With Our Neighbors

In 2020, my neighbor asked if we’d want to get together for a service projects on a regular basis. Um YES!

This month we met at a local Feed My Starving Children site to pack food for the hungry. It was an amazing experience, and as we were leaving, Clark asked how soon we could come back.

Baby it’s COOOOLLLLDDD outside

We’ve had a fairly mild winter, but February was FUH-REEZING! Though most of the south shuts down when it gets to subzero temps, Minnesotans are almost un-fazed by it.

Since I’m not a true Minnesotan, I prefer to be INSIDE when the weather dips below zero. The boys and I have been playing games like Spoons, Rat-a-tat cat and Skipbo. We’ve also tried a few things from this list.

Egly boys make People Magazine!

The boys made it into People Magazine (and NOT because they are the sexiest men alive) If you haven’t seen it yet, click here to watch the video that was shared by People for “small acts of kindness day!”

Our hope is that this video inspires other small acts of kindness. If 1 out of every 100 people who watch this video are inspired to do something kind for someone else – that means more than 30,000 acts of kindness were done!!!

Back to Basketball

There was a six week hiatus from sports, but now Paul, Clark, and George are all playing basketball again. They are so fun to watch. Follow me or Ted on instagram to see their best plays.

Back-to-School

Clark, Paul and I joined Luke in going back to school. The three of them are finally in school full time and I’m teaching a couple days each week. Because of Covid, no parents are allowed to have lunch with their kids, but when I’m teaching, I get to eat with my boys! What a treat!

It was TRICKY and HOT teaching with a face shield AND mask. Thankfully, as of last week, shields are no longer required!

Valentine’s Day Fun

“I chews You!” George made this alligator box for Luke

Clark wanted to ‘sWish’ everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day

Life with Wrigley

Wrigley is sleeping through night and mostly ringing the bell when he needs to go out. He likes people and playing catch. The boys love him sooo much!

What I’m listening to:

I love Bob Goff and enjoy his podcast. This episode was so inspiring!

What I’m watching:

Has anyone watched this series on Apple TV? It’s so good!

What I’m reading:

This book is amazing!

My favorite Super Bowl commercial:

What have you been up to? Leave me a comment!

February 23, 2021 By Kathryn

1 In 2020/ Funny/ Memories/ Minnesota

The Funniest Memes and some CraZy things I saw in 2020

One highlight of 2020 were the hilarious memes. Here are a few of my favorites! What was yours?

Here are some of the crazy things I saw:

My mother-in-law was behind this person in the check out line!

Which of these is your favorite? Leave a comment!

January 27, 2021 By Kathryn

2 In 2020/ Christmas/ Joy/ Memories/ Raising boys

The Story of Wrigley: Our Goldendoodle!

Hello Friends! Meet Wrigley, our first dog!

It was a long journey to get here … our oldest three boys started asking for a dog since, well, they could say the word “DOG!”

I was NOT excited about having a dog. I had a hard enough time keeping up with our boys, I didn’t want another thing to take care of!

However, this quote resonated with me….

“Every boy should have two things: a dog and a mother who lets him have one.”
― Robert Benchley

In 2013, we told George and Clark that when Paul was potty-trained, we’d get a dog! They were overjoyed. However…

Just as Paul was potty-trained, I found out I was pregnant. So, they boys got a BROTHER instead of a dog. Thankfully, they were okay with that … for a while.

Every subsequent Christmas and birthday – the number one requested item was: A DOG.

In 2020…we finally decided it was time. And you all know why. This year we were all stuck at home with plenty of time on our hands!

We got serious about looking for a Goldendoodle. However, I didn’t realize how expensive they could be. I was NOT going to pay what most people were asking.

I told the boys that if we were going to get a dog, we would have to find the right one, for the right price.

So the boys started praying. They asked God for a golden doodle dog for a ‘good price.’

I also saw Clark googling:

“Goldendoodles for less than one thousand dollars.”

For several months, we couldn’t find one. But then…we went for a visit to Tulsa.

Randomly at dinner, I told a friend that we were searching for a golden doodle, but could not find one for a decent price. This friend gave me the number of a local breeder who sells them for a very reasonable price.

There was MORE great news:

I knew the breeder’s family! I had worked with her brother-in-law in Colorado Springs!
I had friends with her dogs.
She had a litter recently born and they’d be available the same week that my in-laws would be visiting us in Minnesota!

Where did we find her?

RJB Doodles in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Ted and I SECRETLY went to meet the puppies and of course, we fell in love. It’s hard to meet a puppy and not BUY a puppy!

This was finally the right breeder, the right dog, at the right time and the right price!!!

We bought one.

However…it was a secret. We would surprise the boys the week before Christmas!

When the puppy was ready, Papa and Nana picked him up and and drove him from Tulsa all the way to our home in Minnesota.

The Big Puppy Surprise:

When they were just a few minutes away, I took the boys upstairs. I told them we had to hang out in my room for a little while because dad had to work on something for Christmas.

While we were upstairs, Ted greeted Nana and Papa at the door and let them in. They put the crate in front of the Christmas tree, they put the puppy in the crate, and a blanket over the crate. Nana and Papa stood in front of the crate, blocking it from view.

Then…Ted came upstairs, knocked on my door, told the boys he was ready…and they came downstairs.

The boys were SOO excited to see their Nana and Papa.

Then, Nana and Papa moved to show the crate. They removed the blanket and showed them the REAL surprise – their PUPPY!

They exclaimed this as the BEST DAY EVER!!!!!!!!

The Best Christmas ever!

The best dog ever!

The best parents ever!

The best nana and papa ever!

They were thrilled and oh, what a memory!

Why the name?

All the men in our family have a “W” in their middle names…so we wanted our dog’s name to start with a W.

We chose “Wrigley” because the boys were born in the Chicago area and we are Cubs fans. The Cubs play in ‘Wrigley’ field.

Welcome to our family Wrigley!

Here’s the video of the boys surprised with a new dog:

Thanks for reading! Merry Christmas everyone!

December 21, 2020 By Kathryn

0 In 2020/ Family/ Memories/ Peek into our Week/ Traveling

Peek into our Thanksgiving week in Oklahoma

Because of this unique year, we feel incredibly blessed to have spent a week with our Oklahoma family.

Here are some highlights:

One of the blessings of this season is that we are exploring more outdoor spaces. Of all the years I’ve lived in and visited Oklahoma, I’d never been to the Redbud Nature Preserve. My sister and her family invited us to join them here for a hike and we absolutely loved it!

The Gathering Place

This is a phenomenal outdoor park in Tulsa. (Click on this link to look at this place!) The big boys played football with Ted, while I explored the play structures with Luke.

Thanksgiving Day

What’s your favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving? My favorite dish on Thanksgiving is the mashed potatoes and gravy – I’ve loved that dish my whole life. It might be my favorite because I only eat it once a year – on Thanksgiving!

My mother-in-law made turkey, ham, and the most delicious mashed potatoes and gravy. I made green beans, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin and pecan pie.

I forgot to add the sugar to the pumpkin pie recipe so I just sprinkled some on top before I baked it. It was a ‘healthier’ version and not super sweet, but still tasted good. This might be the way I make it from now on?

Fishing adventures

Papa and Ted took the boys fishing and they each caught a big one!

We celebrated Paul’s 9th birthday with cousins and cupcakes!

Paul wanted a real animal – but he had to settle for a stuffed one. We had cupcakes with cousins, then went on a hike and found an abandoned hive.

Thanks for reading! Whether you stayed home or celebrated with family, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, too. In spite of this challenging year, we all have so much to be thankful for!

December 7, 2020 By Kathryn

0 In 2020/ Memories/ Minnesota/ Peek into our Week/ Raising boys

Peek into our Week (Fall 2020)

Here’s what we’ve been up to in September and October:

My boys and a couple of their friends at a local apple orchard.

Luke wakes up and waits at the steps for me to see him, say good morning and give him a hug. I haven’t asked him to wait…it’s just become a tradition.

The boys are in school two days a week, and do school at home three days a week.

Luke in Soccer
Paul in Soccer
Clark in football

This was our first season of FOUR boys in sports! Luke, Paul, and George were in soccer. Clark was in football.

Paul and his friend caught Pike!

Then…it started snowing….

The wonder of snow!
Catching snowflakes

And didn’t stop snowing…

Here the boys are selling hot chocolate to neighbors.

All the snow means SNOW SLUSHEES!

Life Hack: Buy a sweatshirt that makes you look and feel like a teddy bear to get more cuddles!

Rain or shine (or snow) – Paul is ready to fish!

Amazon had a sale on animal crackers. They inspired me to make my favorite childhood treat for my kids – Circus Sundaes! Vanilla Ice Cream, strawberry syrup, animal crackers and whip cream.

Paul asked if he could sleep by Luke. When I checked on them, I found this!

We’ve also made a trip to the Arboretum – read about that by clicking here.

And a trip to Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden – click here to read about that!

October 27, 2020 By Kathryn

0 In 2020/ Memories/ Raising boys

Top Ten from 2020

The kids and I said “Goodbye” to Summer and “Hello” to Fall! First, however, we reflected on all that we were able to do in spite of this crazy pandemic.

Here’s our TOP TEN from Summer 2020

1. Family Road Trips

Our Illinois Besties
Family love
Papa’s Ranger
Cousins
Great views of Duluth

Indiana, Illinois, and Duluth, MN

2. Camps

In spite of the pandemic, the boys all did a camp this summer. Luke did a mini sport camp. The 3 big boys got to do a basketball camp and a Survival Camp. The “Survival Camp” was to teach them how to survive if they found themselves stuck in the woods. They created shelter from whatever they could find in the woods, they learned how to start a fire, purify lake water, and use a compass to find their way around the woods.

They loved it, but Paul wondered why their teacher brought stuff into the woods that they wouldn’t really find in the woods (like flint, a fire starter and SMORES).

3. Simple summer fun

The pond at sunset
Buck Hill Hike
Kayaking
Fishing
Clark caught one!

In the land of 10,000 lakes – the boys spent a lot of time in and around the water.

6. Boys at Work

The boys were brainstorming ways to earn money this summer. They decided to start a weeding business. They went door-to-door to ask if the homeowner would like them to pull weeds. The homeowner could “pick their price.” (They did turn down one offer to do an hour of work for $1 – not kidding) Clark asked me how soon weeds grow back. He was thrilled to know that they would have business all summer long – and they did!

7. Tiki Boat rescue

Read that story by clicking here

8. YouTube videos

The Fantastic Two
George and Clark: What’s in the Box Challenge

George and Clark continued their YouTube channel that started in Quarantine. I loved that it kept them brainstorming, writing, creating and working together. At the time of this post, they have 61 subscribers! George told me that they are putting their video creation on ‘pause,’ but will make more during school breaks. Click here to find their channel.

9. LOTS of yard games!

10. Surprise visit from Nana and Papa

Leave a comment and share a happy memory from summer. Thanks for reading!

September 23, 2020 By Kathryn

1 In 2020/ Memories/ Traveling

Sisters in SoHa

When my mom suggested we have a sister/mom reunion in South Haven, Michigan and my sister offered to let us use her family’s camper – I was all in.

I did have to jump through a million ‘mom’ hoops to get things organized so I could be away. You know, just the usual –

child care while daddy worked,
rides to and from practice for 3 kids because dad can’t be in 3 places at once,
laundry done,
make a few healthy meals so they aren’t living on chips and candy for 3 1/2 days, etc.

When all the details came together, we met on a Thursday evening and started our weekend on the beach.

Listening to the waves, smelling the fresh air, watching the water roll in and out, and feeling the sand under my toes was the perfect way to relax and unwind. It allowed me to take a deep breath in and just be in the moment.

My sisters and I used to spend summers in South Haven when we were children. This was our first time back there together in 30 years!!

After sunset, we drove into town to have a late dinner at a restaurant called Taste. We loved getting to chat and eat – with no interruptions from all our kids (there are 12 children between the four of us).

Friday, we got to sleep as late as we wanted but were all up before 8 am. We slowly drank our coffee, read, and chatted.

Eventually, we left and got quiche and breakfast sandwiches from a cute local bakery. After breakfast, we explored downtown South Haven – reliving some of our childhood memories. We found the house where dad lived, we walked inside an old steamboat/restaurant he used to take us to (The Idler), we saw the beach stand where we used to buy hotdogs and Blue Moon ice cream, and the local store where we’d stock up on junk food (because #dadsrules are different than #momsrules).

After exploring, we spent the rest of the day on the beach – searching for unique rocks and sea glass like hidden treasure. We swam, walked, and read some more (I was reading BoyMom and Prevail).

We stayed until the sun set, then got takeout from our favorite local Mexican restaurant (Su Casa). I love their homemade tortilla chips and spicy green salsa.

Saturday morning, we enjoyed the South Haven Farmer’s Market. We got local berries and picked up a cinnamon roll from 6 chicks. One roll cost $5.95 and was as big as a dinner plate. We went back to the camper and shared the warm Cinnamon Roll, topped with the fresh berries we had just purchased at the Farmer’s Market. YUM!

Saturday was incredibly windy, so we went to the beach (with sweaters) and watched the Kite Boarders and Surfers ride the waves. Have you ever seen this before? I had not – and it was so fun to watch. Check it out in the video below.

That afternoon, we drove into Fennville. This town has beautiful vineyards and has several places to try local wine and cider.

For dinner, we went to Salt of the Earth. We shared a wood-fired pizza and delicious appetizers!

Sunday morning, we walked the beach one final time, then packed our things, cleaned the camper, and headed home. I felt relaxed, refreshed, and wishing the weekend hadn’t passed so quickly.

I’m so thankful to my mom for organizing it, getting us there, and feeding us all weekend. Thank you to Krista for letting us use her family’s camper. And for our husbands, who cared for the kids and encouraged us to get away. It was so nice to have a break from quarantine life and relax with people I love so much.

My sister’s RV
One last picture together

Thanks for reading! I hope you get a break from #quarantinelife too!

Here’s a one minute ‘wrap up’ of our weekend:

September 9, 2020 By Kathryn

4 In Memories/ Minnesota/ Motherhood/ Things to do in Minnesota

Spend a fun-filled day with kids in Jordan, Minnesota (just outside the Twin Cities)

I love exploring the unique places that each state has to offer. Recently, we had an amazing time in Duluth. I’ve also written about the great things to do in Lakeville. Of course, nearly everyone knows about Mall of America. However, one place I’d never heard of until I moved to Minnesota, was the quaint town of Jordan. Jordan is only about 30 minutes west of the Twin Cities.

I’d heard there was a giant candy store in this town, but did some research to see what else there was to do. I was surprised to find some really unique things for families.

Start your day with a visit to the American Ninja Warrior Grassman Park.

Address: 1132 Stonebridge Path, Jordan, MN 55352

It’s a FREE and FANTASTIC place to go and get some FUN exercise.

There are two obstacle courses – one for younger children, and another for older children. There are timers on both courses. Your kids can push the button to start a timer, run the course, and push another button to end the timer. Children and adults of all ages can have fun (and burn lots of energy) at this park!

Next, stop by Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store!

Address: 20430 Johnson Memorial Drive, Jordan, MN 55352

Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store has so much more than candy. You will also find fresh pie, savory snacks, bottles of pop, and puzzles. It’s sensory overload, but absolutely worth a visit.

George was amazed by this giant lollipop

You may want to set the expectation for your kids (and maybe yourself) about what they can spend BEFORE you enter the store. The candy is on the pricey side. It’s easy to drop LOTS of money here!! I told my boys they could spend $5 each – so they had to get creative and pool their money to get the candy they wanted.

BRING CASH or a checkbook! They do not accept credit cards.

After having fun at the candy store, burn some of that sugar high off at the nearby Lagoon Park.

Address: 300 Park Dr. Jordan, MN 55352

This park has shaded picnic tables, a playground, a splash pad and even a beach. Across the street is a beautiful waterfall. The best part – it’s all free!

We brought and ate a picnic lunch, then played at the fantastic park for the rest of the afternoon.